Question 1

Adults contribute to children's word learning in a number of ways, but children themselves also contribute to their word learning. Describe children's contributions. Be sure to include a description of at least three assumptions that children make about what new words must mean.

Accepted Answer

Children contribute to their word learning in several ways. One way is through their natural curiosity and desire to understand the world around them. Children are constantly asking questions and seeking out new information, which helps them to learn the meanings of new words. Additionally, children often use context clues and their existing knowledge to make educated guesses about the meanings of unfamiliar words. This process of inferring meaning helps children to expand their vocabulary and understand the nuances of language.

There are at least three assumptions that children make about what new words must mean. First, children often assume that new words are related to familiar words or concepts. For example, if a child hears the word "bicycle" for the first time, they may assume that it has something to do with riding or transportation. Second, children may assume that new words are related to the context in which they are used. If a child hears the word "splash" while playing in the water, they may assume that it has something to do with water or getting wet. Finally, children may assume that new words are related to the actions or objects they are associated with. For example, if a child hears the word "hammer" while watching someone build something, they may assume that it has something to do with building or construction.

Overall, children play an active role in their own word learning by making assumptions about the meanings of new words and using their natural curiosity and existing knowledge to expand their vocabulary.

Question 2

Discuss the influence of nurture on children's first spoken words. How might culture affect how quickly children begin to produce words as well as which words children say first?

Accepted Answer

The influence of nurture on children's first spoken words is significant. Nurture, which includes the environment, experiences, and interactions a child has, plays a crucial role in shaping a child's language development.

Culture can affect how quickly children begin to produce words and which words they say first in several ways. Firstly, the language spoken in the home and community greatly influences a child's language development. Children growing up in bilingual or multilingual environments may take longer to produce their first words as they are exposed to multiple languages. Additionally, the specific sounds and phonetic patterns of a language can impact the timing of a child's first spoken words.

Furthermore, cultural practices and beliefs can also influence the types of words children say first. For example, in some cultures, there may be an emphasis on teaching children specific words related to family relationships or social interactions, while in other cultures, there may be an emphasis on teaching words related to nature or daily activities.

Overall, the influence of nurture and culture on children's first spoken words is significant, and it is important to consider these factors when studying language development in children.

Question 3

Describe the relative impact of nature and nurture on language development as proposed by Chomsky and Skinner. Provide descriptive examples.

Accepted Answer

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Question 4

Give a detailed example of a conversation between an adult and a preschooler in which the adult is providing scaffolding for the child. Explain what the adult is trying to accomplish and how the adult is going about accomplishing it. Discuss whether the adult is likely to be successful, and why or why not.

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Question 5

Describe three similarities between the process of language acquisition for children learning a spoken language and the process for children learning a signed language. Why do you think this issue was such a recurrent focus of this chapter?

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Question 6

Describe the differences in the ability to differentiate among speech sounds for an infant and a 5-year-old child. What is the evolutionary purpose of the initial ability, and how does the ability change or disappear?

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Question 7

Describe the concepts of intersubjectivity and joint attention and explain how they relate to language development. Provide an example of each one and explain how it will be likely to help the development of language.

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Question 8

Which comes first-language production or language comprehension? Provide at least two detailed examples to support your answer.

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

Can nonhuman primates learn language? Provide a brief description of research done on this topic and what the general results have been. Discuss three differences between human and nonhuman communicators.

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Question 10

Describe three pieces of evidence supporting the notion of a critical period for language acquisition. What implications does this evidence have for exposing congenitally deaf children to a sign language?

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Question 11

Imagine that a babysitter for a toddler who is in the telegraphic speech stage decides to take the child on an outing, perhaps to the zoo, the beach, the park, or the city. The babysitter and child will probably encounter many sights that will be fascinating to the child. Describe what types of utterances the child is likely to make. Give five examples of "sentences" the child might say, and translate them into expressions an adult would probably use for the same thought.

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

Imagine that a family is planning a move to Japan. There are three children in the family-an infant, a 4-year-old, and a 10-year-old. Will the children become more or less proficient in Japanese than the adults in the family? Why? Will all of the children become similarly proficient, or will the children's proficiency differ? If it will differ, how will it differ among the children and why? Describe at least two pieces of evidence from research on language to support your answers.

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Question 13

Describe the characteristics of older infants' babbling. Are these characteristics independent of or dependent on experience? Explain, and provide examples to support your position.

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Question 14

Imagine a day in the life of a preschooler. Describe the symbols the child encounters in the course of the day. Choose three of the symbols, and for each one, discuss the factors involved in the child's comprehension of its symbolic representation. Be sure to use at least one example of a symbolic artifact.

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Question 15

The development of language involves several areas of development-phonological, semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic. Briefly explain what development in each of these areas entails. Give one example of an advancement in each area that is typical of toddler language development and one example of an advancement in each area that is typical of a child who is at a more advanced level of language development.

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Question 16

At a family gathering, parents are bragging that their 8-month-old daughter seems as if she is getting ready to talk. Her grandparents, however, insist that she has no idea that those around her are even talking and that she certainly is not preparing to speak at this young age. Help the parents and grandparents settle their disagreement by describing what is known about infants' perceptions of speech and what the 8-month-old is probably doing to prepare for speaking.

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Question 17

Imagine that someone is trying to program a robot to speak infant-directed speech. Provide a description of four instructions that the person would give the robot.

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Question 18

Define and provide two examples of (a) overregularization and (b) overextension. For each type of error, describe what a child's errors of this type tell us about her language development.

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Exam 6: Development of Language and Symbol Use